Anyone who does not not speak French may not realize that the plans for several Henri Mignet designs are available for free download from Pouguide.org with the consent of the Mignet family and, when appropriate, of the enthusiasts responsible for updating and redrawing them. Whether you are looking for a new project or just want to study tandem wings, these are worth a look.
ORIGINAL HENRI MIGNET PLANS
HM.290 (1949)
This light WWII single-seater was a simplified version of the HM.280 "Pou Maquis" which had been developed as an ultralight liaison aircraft for Free French forces during WWII. Plans were published in the Belgian magazine l'Aéronef and you can download the plans themselves (on one dense, artistic sheet, fun just to contemplate), airfoil profiles and instructions and brief building instructions five languages. The HM.290 is suitable for only a light pilot and engine, the derivative HM.293 below would be a better choice for most builders today.
HM.360/380 (1958)
The single-seat HM.360 is perfect for small four-stroke engines like a VW, Rotax or a small Continental. There are also multiple two-seat HM.380 variants provided which share much of basic structure of the single-seater. The HM.380 is a time-consuming design in terms of all the pretty curves but has an excellent reputation as probably the best-handling of the common Mignet designs.
PLANS UPDATED BY OTHERS
[video=youtube_share;itMDL-JIFfs]http://youtu.be/itMDL-JIFfs[/video]
HM.293RG (1990s?)
The HM.290 proved a bit too small and light so it was modified by Mignet himself as the HM.293 with more wing area and a higher gross weight, but the design really took off when Mignet enthusiast and family friend Rodolphe Grunberg modifed the design to suit French microlight regulations and redrew the plans from scratch. This HM.293RG is now by far the most common Mignet design built in France and elsewhere and is perfect for larger two-stroke engines like the Rotax 447/503 or equivalent Hirth models.
HM.14 Victor Collard
With the known issues of the original HM.14, especially the tricky airfoil and unsuitable bungee return pitch control, many builders in the late 20th century simply adapted the wings from the later HM.360 to the HM.14 fuselage to get a safe, simple design with the classic Flying Flea look. Belgian Victor Collard did the same and added other tweaks including split-axle, bungee-sprung landing gear and then provided updated plans.
Cheers,
Matthew
PS--While I don't envision translating the entire plans sets, I am happy to help with any specific French-English questions, PM me anytime.
ORIGINAL HENRI MIGNET PLANS
HM.290 (1949)
This light WWII single-seater was a simplified version of the HM.280 "Pou Maquis" which had been developed as an ultralight liaison aircraft for Free French forces during WWII. Plans were published in the Belgian magazine l'Aéronef and you can download the plans themselves (on one dense, artistic sheet, fun just to contemplate), airfoil profiles and instructions and brief building instructions five languages. The HM.290 is suitable for only a light pilot and engine, the derivative HM.293 below would be a better choice for most builders today.
HM.360/380 (1958)
The single-seat HM.360 is perfect for small four-stroke engines like a VW, Rotax or a small Continental. There are also multiple two-seat HM.380 variants provided which share much of basic structure of the single-seater. The HM.380 is a time-consuming design in terms of all the pretty curves but has an excellent reputation as probably the best-handling of the common Mignet designs.
PLANS UPDATED BY OTHERS
[video=youtube_share;itMDL-JIFfs]http://youtu.be/itMDL-JIFfs[/video]
HM.293RG (1990s?)
The HM.290 proved a bit too small and light so it was modified by Mignet himself as the HM.293 with more wing area and a higher gross weight, but the design really took off when Mignet enthusiast and family friend Rodolphe Grunberg modifed the design to suit French microlight regulations and redrew the plans from scratch. This HM.293RG is now by far the most common Mignet design built in France and elsewhere and is perfect for larger two-stroke engines like the Rotax 447/503 or equivalent Hirth models.
HM.14 Victor Collard
With the known issues of the original HM.14, especially the tricky airfoil and unsuitable bungee return pitch control, many builders in the late 20th century simply adapted the wings from the later HM.360 to the HM.14 fuselage to get a safe, simple design with the classic Flying Flea look. Belgian Victor Collard did the same and added other tweaks including split-axle, bungee-sprung landing gear and then provided updated plans.
Cheers,
Matthew
PS--While I don't envision translating the entire plans sets, I am happy to help with any specific French-English questions, PM me anytime.
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